What is gambling?
First of all, let's take a look at the precise definition of gambling:
"A person gambles when he/she bets money on playing a game where a random outcome will cause him/her to win or lose. Meaning, this person has no influence on the outcome."
Short odds vs long odds gambling
In gambling we often talk about short odds and long odds. These terms say something about the time between the bet and the result (do you win or lose).
Examples of short odds games of chance are roulette and slot machines.
You will receive results from your efforts within a few seconds.
Playing short odds games of chance has a greater risk of developing a gambling addiction.
In long odds games of chance it sometimes takes days, weeks or months before you know the outcome. Consider, for example, lotteries or certain sports betting.
The risk of developing an addiction is lower with long odds gambling.
The difference between gambling and skill based games
Skill based games are games that you can get better at through concentration and experience. Arcade games or games such as pinball machines, darts, (pool) billiards or chess are therefore not games of chance.
But this difference is not always so clear! In sports betting and poker, knowledge, experience and calculating the odds of your opponent play a major role. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, the highest court in the Netherlands, classifies these games as gambling. The Supreme Court finds that chance plays a greater role than skill.
De Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) keeps you safe
The goal of De Kansspelautoriteit is that players can gamble safely and fairly. The Ksa does this by: granting licenses to potential providers of games of chance; checking whether providers comply with the laws and regulations.
The Ksa therefore protects your interests as a gambler so that you have as little chance as possible of having problems with gambling. For example, Cruks, the Central Register for the Exclusion of Gambling, is also theirs. You can register here if you no longer want to gamble at all legal casinos in the Netherlands.
Want a gambling stop? Then sign up at Cruks.